Trip Report: Turks and Caicos

June 24th to July 1st, 2013

We arrived at the startlingly beautiful island of Providenciales in Turks and Caicos with ease on a Monday morning. As we took in the scenery, I was astounded by the vivid, crystal clear turquoise water. The beaches unquestionably trump anywhere I have been. Our day of visiting hotels began with a short 40-minute boat trip to Parrot Cay.We had an enjoyable breakfast on the terrace — the buffet was delicious with almond croissants, banana bread, yogurts, fruits and eggs to order. We then made our way to Regent Palms on Grace Bay followed by Point Grace. They are all so different, even though they are located practically side-by-side. Regent Palms has beautiful rooms, an excellent restaurant and great beach facilities and a pool while Point Grace is smaller and very quiet and a bit formal in its décor.

We then drove approximately half an hour to Amanyara, a bastion of privacy and exclusivity. Upon entering, I thought, “I have arrived at the most exclusive ashram in the world.” We stayed one of our nights at Villa PL COR. I promptly fell in love with every aspect of the house. There were several times all three of us caught ourselves wandering in circles taking photo after photo. I roamed around with a smile on my face, delighted with each new treasure I would find as I went from room to room. The large, flamboyant tree that dominates the courtyard was in bloom and it was simply beautiful in every way. The villa chef prepared our lunch, which was perfect; an avocado salad with fried shrimp and conch fritters on the side. My bedroom was the Coral bedroom … it was off by itself and I adored it. The bathroom’s pale aqua shutters were open; it was breezy and overlooked the garden.

We did a little snorkeling right in front of the villa and even saw a young barracuda. We enjoyed dinners at Hemingways on Grace Bay, Coyaba and Magnolias, which is up the hill above Turtle Cove. We ate twice at Tiki Hut in Turtle Cove which was great and just a short walk from where we were staying at Villa TNC REE on Grace Bay Beach. If you head out on a fishing excursion from Turtle Cove, bring your catch back to Tiki Hut and they will cook it for you. We also went to have a look at Coco Bistro which has such a great setting in a palm grove with twinkling lights and great food. We had terrific lunches at Las Brisas on Chalk Sound and Bugaloo’s which is a conch lovers paradise. Dining in Turks & Caicos is a foodie’s dream and can take you from a local beachfront shack to a high-end restaurant with refined service. We had salads, fruits and lots of grilled fish. Conch is big and is featured on every restaurant menu – conch benedict for breakfast, conch salad or fritters for lunch, conch pasta or pizza for dinner. Water sports are easily available and there’s plenty to do. Fishing (deep sea or bone fishing), snorkeling, diving, parasailing, waterskiing, Hobie cats, you name it.

We went on an evening ride with Provo Ponies on Long Bay Beach. We rode them into the water chest deep for 40 minutes – so fun! If you’re looking to stay on land, you can relax in a beach chair at Bugaloo’s with your toes in the water watching the changing hues of the horizon and the happy tourists come and go. We saw so much in one week and I can’t wait for my next Turks trip!